This invention relates to improved crimped connections for ribbon-like conductors in a flat conductor cable and to wiring systems which are installed using flat cable.
Flat conductor cable comprises ribbon-like conductors contained in a thin sheet or film of insulating material. Flat cables of this type are being widely used for interconnections involving electronic instruments, printed circuit boards, and other circumstances where the voltage and power requirements are relatively low and the conductors are correspondingly small. Flat cables are not, however, being used for building wiring although such cables were first proposed for this use in the 1880's. It is probable that insulation and electrical connection problems as well as the cost of the cables prevented the adoption of flat conductor building wiring systems during those early years.
Not withstanding the renewed interest in flat conductor cables during recent years, such cables are not being used for building wiring applications because of the difficulty of making electrical connections to the conductors in the cable. Soldered connections are impractical and while there are available good crimped connections for flat conductors (see to Huffnagle U.S. Pat. No. 3,395,381) most of these crimped connections are comparatively bulky and there use in building wiring systems would be impractical in that they would cancel out the advantages of using flat conductor cable.
In accordance with one aspect of the instant invention, an improved crimped connection is provided for flat conductors in a flat cable which can be made with relatively simple tools at a work site such as by an electrician installing the wiring in a building under construction. The crimped connection has an extremely low profile so that the crimped connecting device does not project significantly beyond the surfaces of the flat cable. The invention is further directed to the achievement of a flat cable power distribution system in a building which may be provided on a wall or floor surface and in accordance with which electrical outlets, supply cables, and switches can be conveniently provided at any desired location.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide an improved crimped connection for flat conductors in a flat conductor cable. A further object is to provide a low profile and compact crimped connection. A further object is to provide a crimped connection for flat conductors which can be made with relatively simple tools and which will be effective to serve as a low resistance, long lived connection in the system in which it is installed. A still further object is to provide a building power distribution system employing flat conductor cables which can be quickly and efficiently installed, which occupies a minimum amount of space, and which can be modified to provide additional electrical outlets or for other purposes with a minimum amount of time and inconvenience.